Hess station in Toms River had contaminated gas

Nov. 9, 2012

Written by

Nicholas Huba

@nicholashuba

BAD GASOLINE?Customers who have been affected should contact the Hess customer line directly at 1-800-437-7645 or by email at retailwebmaster@hess.com.

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TOMS RIVER — A week ago, Jeannette Schlapher went to the Hess gas station on Hooper Avenue to get gas for her 2007 Land Rover in the Silverton section of the township.

Later that day, she noticed her car was not running properly, Schlapher said.

The car started to stutter and would not go, said Schlapher, 55, of Point Pleasant. It was terrible. I did not know what was going on with it.

After taking the vehicle to a mechanic, Schlapher discovered the regular-grade gasoline she purchased had been tainted with diesel fuel.

Hess was alerted to the situation early Saturday morning, said Lorrie Hecker, director of communication for Hess Corporation.

Early Saturday morning, regular gasoline with a small amount of diesel was delivered to two Hess stations, one in Silverton and one in North Brunswick, Hecker said. We cleaned the tanks at both stations, tested them and then replaced the gasoline. Weve also checked our other sites and confirmed that this issue was isolated to these two stations.

Schlapher said she was frustrated with the way the situation was handled.

I went to the station, and no one would answer anything. There was no sign, and in these difficult times, I needed my car, she said. Im just happy that they have paid for the repairs. I just wish they would have done a better job letting people know.

No complaints have been filed with the state Department of Consumer Affairs over the issue, spokesman Jeff Lamm said. However, three complaints have been filed with the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs, officials said.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience this has caused customers, particularly at this difficult time in the aftermath of the hurricane, and will reimburse those affected for their repair bills, Hecker said.